Television aerial



Nov. 28, 1950 A. R. ATCHISON 2,532,138

TELEVISION AERIAL Filed June 18, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 A I N V EN TOR.

Hff'ea: flier Z fizz/532 504 Nov. 28, 1950 A. R. ATCHISON 2,532,133

TELEVISION AERIAL 7 Filed June 18, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 1N VEN TOR.

Patented Nov. 28, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE I TELEVISION AERIALArreather Ray Atchison, Detroit, Mich.

Application June 18, 1949, Serial No. 99,939

6 Claims.

The present invention relates to radio antennae, and particularly toreceiving antennae for the reception of relatively wide bands at veryhigh frequencies and above, such as are employed in television,frequency modulated broadcast transmission and the like.

An important object of the invention is to provide an improved antennaof the indicated character having a wide frequency response and which iscapable of providing a strong signal of high quality on all of theoperating channels now in commercial use for television broadcasting,which will provide a signal which possesses full, sharp detail and whichis free from ghosts and other imperfections.

( A further object is to provide such an antenna which is virtuallynondirectional in its response.

Another object is to provide such an antenna system which is of compactconstruction and which is adapted to be embodied in a structure ofattractive appearance, which is suitable for use as an ornament, andadapted to be placed directly in the room, upon or near the televisionreceiver to which it is connected.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent uponconsideration of the present disclosure in its entirety.

In the drawing:

Figure l is an equivalent schematic circuit diagram of an antenna systemincorporating the principles of my invention;

Figs. 2 and 3 are front and rear elevational views, respectively, of auseful and ornamental device, comprising an ornamental clockcase, havingantenna components of ornamental character and embodying my invention;

Fig. 4 is a partly diagrammatic rear elevational view upon a somewhatlarger scale and with certain of the ornamental components removed,showing the method of wiring;

Fig. 5 is a similar simplified elevational View from the front; and

Fig. 6 is an end elevational view taken substantially as indicated bythe line and arrows 6-6 of Fig. 2, but partly broken away.

Referring now to the drawings, the general arrangement of the principalcomponents of my preferred array is shown in Fig. 1 as comprising threevertical rods H], II and I2. a folded dipole, the legs of which aredesignated [4 and I5, a substantially rhombic antenna formed in twohalves, respectively designated l6 and I1, and a straight dipolecomprised of arms 18 and [9. Connections to the two halves of therhombic antenna are made at the top center by lead wires 2|! and 2|.Wires 2D and 2i are also connected to the folded dipole l4, l5 and tothe dipole sections l8, IS.

The top center of the rhombic antenna is divided, and connected to theends of the folded dipole at the terminals 22. 23 to which the wires 20,2| are also connected. The rod H is con- 2 nected to the center of thedipole and through the folded dipole to the top center connections 22,23 of the rhombic structure, the folded dipole serving as connectingmeans between vertical rod I I and the rhombic sections.

The rods Ill and [2 are connected to the outer ends of the legs of therhombic structure, and the rhombic antenna is alsodivided at the centerbottom, and separate transmission line connections are made to each'legof the rhombic antenna, at terminals .24, 25. Terminals 2'6, 21 are alsoprovided for lead-in connections to the wires 20, 2|.

The transmission lines are designated 28, 29, 3|] and 3|, and all ofthese have an iterative impedance, which may be of the order of 300ohms.

The components of this array need not be, and preferably are not,resonant within the frequency bands to be received. For example. in thepreferred construction illustrated in Figs. 2 to 5, each arm of thefolded horizontal dipole is approximately 3 long and it is geometricallyresonant at approximately 1000 megacycles. Each arm of the straightdipole l8, I9 is 8" long, so that it is resonant at approximately 250megacycles. Each branch of the rhombic antenna is approximately 6" long,and it is also resonant well above the highest channel for which thesystem is designed. The vertical memberslll, H and I2 are 12" long andresonant at approxi mately megacycles. The wires 20, 2! are 9 /2" longin their full length from terminals 26, 2! to terminals 22, 23, the partfrom terminals 25, 21 to the straight dipole being 6 /2" long. All ofthe antenna elements are therefore resonant at frequencies much higherthan the frequencies of the television channels of Groups A and B, whichthe array is designed to receive.

Although the transmission lines are proportioned to have fundamental orharmonic resonances in or close to the frequencies to be received, inthe preferredconstruction illustrated, they are apparently non-resonantin effect, due to their iterative impedance. The transmission linesemployed with the preferred array disclosed are 12' long, and arequarter wave resonant just above the channels of Group A. and one-eighthwave resonant just below the channels of Group B..

The elements of the array are loaded with substantial distributedcapacitance. The capacitance comprises metal plates 35, '36, 31, 38, 39.These are carried by and connected to the vertical rods In, H, l2.

the full height of the rods. while plates 38, 39 he approximately in theplane of the system.

Plates 35, 36 and 31 are of generally wavular or half-looped form and.

In the construction illustrated by way of example, all of the antennaelements are carried by a suitable insulating support 40, which may beformed of wood, and which, to typify the adaptability of the array toornamental installations, is illustrated as contoured to represent thehull of a ship. The vertical rods l0, H and I2 are positioned torepresent the masts of the vessel. The hull may also serve as aclockcase, if desired, as shown, a portion of the hull being projectedupwardly as indicated at 42 to represent a cabin and to accommodate theclock 44. Such upwardly projecting portion 42 supports the central'rodii in a somewhat'elevated position and also carries on its top thefolded dipole l4, l5, while the dipole rods I8, I 9 are projectedthrough and carried by a lower portion of the cabin section if, as bestshown in Fig. 3. The dipole rods may be of telescopically extensibleform, if desired. The folded dipole is supported by the central rod Ii,such folded dipole being comprised of rod sections 45, 46 carried by'andprojecting horizontally from an insulating block 48 carried by the mastH. The wires 29, 2! are connected to-terminals 22, 23 connected'to theinner ends of the rods and carried by the block 48, while the returnlegs of the dipole comprise wires 52, 54 connected to the outer ends ofthe rods 45, .46 and extendinginwardly to connect with a terminalEilwhich is electrically connected to the mast l I.

At their set ends, the transmission lines 28 and 29 are connectedtogether to form a single leadin connection "53, and the lines 39 and 3!are connected together to form a single lead-in connection 55. Theshort-circuiting'of the lead-in linesat the receiver terminals in thismanner has no appreciable effect within the television bands in view ofthe characteristics of the transmission lines. The capacitive loadingsubstantially widens the frequency acceptance band and makes the arrayless critical to changes in resonances. The array is also virtuallynondirectional.

In operation an array of this character shows excellent response in allof the channels presently in use, and in a field of reasonable intensityproduces excellent signals, free from ghosts and possessing high detail.

Whileit will be apparent that the preferred embodiment of the inventionherein disclosed is well calculated to fulfill the-objects above stated,it will be appreciated that the invention is susceptible tomodification, variation and change withoutdeparting from the properscope or fair meaning of the subjoined claims.

What is claimed. is:

1. Ari-antenna array consisting of a substantially rhombic antennadivided into two sections, a dipole antenna having one dipole connectedto each section of the rhombic antenna, the dipole being folded andserving as a connection between said rhombic sections, and a verticalantenna member connected substantially to the mid-point of the foldeddipole.

2. An antenna array consisting of a substantially rhombic antennadivided into two sections, a dipole antenna having one dipole connectedto each section of the rhombic antenna, the dipole being. folded andserving as a connection between said rhombic sections, a verticalantenna member connected substantially to the mid-point of the foldeddipole, and a plurality of additional vertical antenna members connectedat substantially uniformly spaced positions to the rhombic sections.

3. An antenna array consisting of a substantially rhombic antennadivided into two sections, a dipole antenna having one dipole connectedto each section of the rhombic antenna, the dipole being folded andserving as a connection between said rhombic sections, a verticalantenna member connected substantially to the mid-point of the foldeddipole, and a pair of additional vertical antenna members, one member ofeach such pair beingconnected to each rhombic section near the outer endthereof.

4. An antenna array consisting of a rhombic antenna divided into twosections, a dipole antenna having one pole connected to each section ofthe rhombic antenna, the dipole being folded and serving as a connectionbetween said rhombic sections, said array being designed for wide-bandreception of television signals and the like and each aerial of thearray being resonant at a frequency substantially abovethe'frequenciestobe received, and a vertical antenna member con nectedsubstantially to the mid-point of the folded dipole.

5. An antenna array consisting of a rhombic antenna divided into twosections, a dipole antenna having one pole connected to each section ofthe rhombic antenna, the dipole being folded and serving as a connectionbetween said rhombic sections, said array being designed for wide-bandreception of television signals and the like'and each aerial of thearray being resonant at a frequency substantially above the frequenciesto be received, a vertical antenna member connected substantially to themid-point of the folded-dipole, and a plurality of additionalvertical-antenna members connected at substantially uni-.

formly spaced positions to the rhombic sections.

.6. An antenna array consisting-ofa rhombic antenna divided into twosections, a dipole antenna having one pole connected to each section ofthe rhombic antenna, the dipole being folded and serving as a connectionbetween said rhombic sections, said array being designed for wide-bandreception of television signals and the like and each aerial of thearray being resonant at a frequency substantially above the frequenciesto be received, a vertical antenna member connected substantially to themid-point of the folded dipole, and a pair of additional verticalantenna members, one member of each such pair being connected to eachrhombic section near the outer end thereof.

ARREATHER RAY ATCHISON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,610,704 Paddack Dec. 14, 19261,924,408 Leib Aug. 29, 1933 2,297,925 Usselman Oct. 6, 1942 2,324,462Leedset a1. July 13, 1943 2,419,539 Clark et a1 Apr. 29, 1947 2,423,083Daubaras 1 July 1, 1947 2,426,632 Marchand Sept. 2, 1947 2,448,017Busignies Aug. 31, 1948 2,495,579 Ferris et al. Jan. 24, 1950 OTHERREFERENCES Radio News, October 1948, page 99. Proc. IRE, October 1948,page 1246. Journal of the Institution of Electrical Engineers, vol. 94,part III, 1946, pages 106 and 107.

